If you are new to gardening in Florida, then you need to know that October is a lot like April up north, minus the spring rains. Fortunately, we begin to get some cooler breezes and that makes working outside in the garden more pleasant.

Vegetable gardening should be going full steam ahead. Soil should be amended with compost or other organic matter. And it's important that vegetables get six to eight hours of full sun to thrive. Since our fall can be somewhat dry, remember to provide adequate water as well. Cool-season crops include broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, carrots, cabbage and collards. Wait a bit later to plant spinach, which needs cool soil to germinate. A great book for Florida gardeners is Vegetable Gardening in Florida by James M. Stephens. You can also access the Florida Vegetable Gardening Guide online at edis.ifas.ufl.edu/vh021. Another website with numerous resources: solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu.

Information from Carol Suggs and Theresa Badurek of the Pinellas County Extension Service and from the Hillsborough County Extension Gardening Almanac. Go to the extension websites at pinellascountyextension.org and hillsborough.extension.ufl.edu.